Niners coach Jim Harbaugh had not announced his starter until Sunday, but Kaepernick will replace Alex Smith, who is recovering from a concussion.

Game time is 4:25 p.m. ET at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Kaepernick's starting debut Monday against the Chicago Bears created a stir among 49ers fans. He went 16-for-23 for 243 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 133.1 against Chicago.

Smith was inactive for that game. He was cleared for play this week and will back up Kaepernick, a second-year man from Nevada.

NFL.com was among other media sources making the announcement.

Fantasy take

Kaepernick didn't play like a second-year quarterback making his starting debut last week, carving up the vaunted Bears' defense for 243 passing yards and two TDs. This week, against a Saints' defense allowing the most fantasy points per game to QBs (25.9), Kaepernick should be in line for another solid day.

It's a bit risky to trust a young quarterback in his first road start — especially in a noisy dome — but Kaepernick is a good fill-in for fantasy owners who had been counting on Ben Roethlisberger or Michael Vick. — Matt Lutovsky, Sporting News Fantasy Source